As ashamed as I feel right now, I would like to extend my sincerest apologies to the entire Tamil community who are suffering from the irresponsible, unconscionable and blatantly racist behavior of the Sri Lankan government.
The rounding-up of Tamil-speaking people, who, being Sri Lankan citizens apart, "had no good reason to be in Colombo" and herding them off to northern areas of the country is not only a violation of basic human rights, morality and a dereliction of duty of a responsible government, but an ample demonstration of apartheid-policies of an increasingly racist Sinhalese government.
While I understand that security concerns are real and present, there are appropriate ways and means to fight those -- including the dreaded emergency regulations that have been used with good effect over the last twenty-odd years. What is the point of fighting to "protect the constitution" and the "sovereign state" when a government cannot guarantee its citizens the most basic, the most fundamental, and the most needful of rights? In my opinion, everything else in such a situation takes a secondary role.
However, rounding up of people like this based on the sole criteria of race marks a new low in this conflict that has marred post-independent Sri Lanka. This incident goes beyond the riots (they were done by mobs), and the massacres at Sri Maha Bodhi and the bombing at Dalada Maligawa (they were done by "terrorists").
This time around however, the most shameful of actions are done by none other than the official government, the officers of the law, and the defenders of the citizenry in collusion.
Today, I stand ashamed than ever before for the actions of our government. Today, I extend my heartfelt sympathies to the Tamil community the world over for the shameful actions of our government. And today I stand convinced than ever before that the struggle for Tamil Eelam is thus justified even to the most ignorant observer -- our Sinhalese governments just don't understand.
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10 comments:
Very good piece o writing.almost what I feel after seing this stupid move by the srilanklan govt.I wonder whether Mahinda Rajapakse has a "chinthanaya" at all--simply a brainless move.
Its a CHUNthanaya - for pleasure of fools by a fool
Hi
Being a tamil in colombo it's nice to see a post like this that lot of people do understand it was a very bad move.
And it's very apparent this is something done by a few ignorant and dumb polititians
Pissing off man.... pissing off...!
we should all feel ashamed, that this has happened, and that the very constitution of the republic itself, has been violated so plainly and openly. but what's heartening, is that so many ordinary people see its simply wrong.
Anyone of you tamils care to comment on LTTE terrorising Sri lanka? Not a word on that I can imagine.
LTTE militants are bastards.
famous warning given by the German philosopher Martin Niemoller in the midst of Hitler’s madness:
“First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me
QUOTE
Anyone of you tamils care to comment on LTTE terrorising Sri lanka? Not a word on that I can imagine.
LTTE militants are bastards.
UNQUOTE
LTTE is a terrorist organization, granted. Sri Lankan government, however, we would like to this, is NOT (a terrorist organization). That's the difference.
Sri Lankan government should, if they want to terrorize anyone, terrorize the LTTE, not the Tamil people.
For the record, I am not a Tamil. I am a Sinhalese.
curious how some ppl get into hysterical exaggerations when dealing with this.
sri lanka is at war, accumulation of large number of ppl without identification or a reason for their stay is a security risk. they may not be terrorists, but they are a good cover under which ltte can infiltrate the city, to deny that is to live in a fantasy world.
you may have your own ideas about that but do you have right to stop anyone from doing something that may save lives? after all police will know more about terrorists than you do. do you agree?
its is duty of the police to prevent terrorist attacks, and prevent loss of life . as such they have to deal with above situation according to law
as this is a new measure, law will have to be determined by the court ( as it is now in the process of doing )
this sort of pushing the boundary of law is common with security apparatus in most democratic countries ( whether it be wire tapping , period of detention, cc tv etc ). so is the appeal to courts to clarify the law.
to go from this not so extraordinary situation, to hysterical exaggerations ( including claims of ethnic cleansing) is simply absurd .
this is after all is not the first time this happened. as far as blogs go april 2006 was just such a period. too bad most of the exaggerating bloggers have dropped from the view.
hopefully present lot will be available for ridicule when their claims prove false
Some may have said it's ethnic cleansing, but I don't think I did.
As Benjamin Franklin said, "Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both."
And as I pointed out in the post, there are enough laws under which people can be arrested without charge, detained without being produced in court, and interrograted.
However, forcible replacement of people is a clear violation of rights the most fundamental rights as th SC now seems to be saying.
I am not aware of any other instance in SL where people were forcibly relocated to other places of the country by the government, in the middle of the night.
I also think the reaction by the President himself is a clear vindication of what most bloggers have been saying.
The plain and simple fact of the matter is that this Government must go.
Let's try and figure out how.
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